The Queen's Diamond Jubilee river pageant reached its end as a world record-beating 1,000-strong flotilla passed under Tower Bridge.

The belfry carrying The Royal Jubilee Bells was the first vessel through, followed by the million-pound row barge Gloriana led by Olympic gold medallists Sir Matthew Pinsent and Sir Steve Redgrave, rowing with 16 others.

A 41-gun salute was fired from the Tower of London to celebrate the Queen's 60 years on the throne while thousands of people cheered on the banks of the River Thames despite the wet weather.

Scroll down to watch highlights of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Pageant

The Queen, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, wave from the Spirit of Chartwell during the Diamond Jubilee Thames River Pageant as thousands of well-wishers from around the world flocked to London to witness the spectacle of the weekend's celebrations

Hundreds of thousands of people crowded the Thames shoreline to watch the Royal Jubilee Pageant. From left to right, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry watched proceedings from the Royal barge which formed part of a flotilla of 1,000 boats

Big day: The Queen smiles as she surveys the packed River Thames - and the crowds which have turned out to see her from the Royal barge

Prince Harry draws the attention of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William to events on the river during the spectacular Thames Pageant. They joined Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip aboard the Spirit of Chartwell during the Diamond Jubilee Pageant

The firm: Members of the Royal family (from left to right) Prince of Wales, Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Cambridge, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry

Royal fun: The Queen, left, waves at the crowds of well-wishers lining the river banks, as she, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince Charles travel aboard the Spirit of Chartwell during the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the River Thames

Weather watch: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, casts a wary eye skywards as rainclouds darken overhead while he accompanies Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall during the Diamond Jubilee River Pageant

Splendour: The royal barge 'Spirit of Chartwell' carrying the Queen cruises down the River Thames during the Diamond Jubilee Pageant

The bascules of Tower Bridge opened
for the arrival of the royal barge, the Spirit of Chartwell, as the
Royal Family prepared to take their places on HMS President to watch the
rest of the seven mile-long flotilla making its way down the Thames.

Just after 2pm more than a thousand
vessels set off in wave after wave of tugs, steamers, pleasure cruisers,
dragon boats and kayaks with the Queen travelling at its heart.

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The river-borne event was one of the
highlights of the four-day Diamond Jubilee weekend and spectators
refused to let the miserable weather dampen their spirits.

But the flypast finale to the Thames River Pageant was cancelled due to the poor weather.

Nine naval helicopters of the Fleet
Air Arm were scheduled to form a 'Diamond Nine' in the skies above
London to salute the Queen.

'Unfortunately because of the weather
conditions, the proposed helicopter fly past in diamond formation will
now not take place,' a spokeswoman for the Pageant organisers said.

Though, this did not ruin what proved
to be a stunning spectacle for those who did brave the drizzle to line
the shores of the Thames.

Tradition meets hi-tech on a day of history: The royal barge passes under Tower Bridge against a backdrop of ultra-modern glass buildings. Soaring high above them is the magnificent pyramid-shaped Shard, at 1,020ft the tallest building in the European Union, construction of which is almost complete

The view from the London Eye: Crowds pack Westminster Bridge as the royal barge and escort passes the Houses of Parliament

Anchors aweigh: The manpowered section of the Diamond Jubilee River Pageant headed along the River Thames to Tower Bridge, London

Braving the elements: The rowers who manned Gloriana had been on the river for hours by the time the conclusion of the pageant

Putting their backs into it: The Gloriana leads the manpowered craft towards Westminster Bridge during Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the River Thames in London

Sweet sound: The Royal Jubilee Bells, on Ursula Catherine Belfry Barge, passed the Palace of Westminster at the head of the Diamond Jubilee Thames River Pageant

Ringing the changes: Crowds cheer on the flotilla while the bell-ringers were hard at work in the floating belfry, which joined some of the near 1,000 boats that took to the Thames for the Diamond Jubilee River Pageant

Choppy waters: Boats of all sizes floated near Tower Bridge as part of the Diamond Jubilee Thames River Pageant

Bow to stern: Boats lined up to form a flotilla around 1,000 strong as the UK celebrates the Diamond Jubilee of a monarch for only the second time in history

Show: The New Zealand rowers perform a Maori war row on the Thames in front of thousands of spectators

Working up a sweat: Television host Ben Fogle, sporting a cream waistcoat and shorts, puts his back into it as he rows in the manpowered flotilla

Jubilation: A delighted crowd wave Union flags as they sail on a boat during the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant in London in one of the largest flotillas ever assembled on the river

Spectacular: Every available vantage point down the Embankment and the Millennium Bridge was packed as hundreds of thousands of people tried to getting a view of the Royal Pageant along the Thames

Dressed to impress: As the rain fell, this oversized hat on one of the boats in the thousand strong flotilla came in rather handy to shelter from the weather

Salute: The Honourable Artillery Company firing, the City of London's Territorial Army regiment and the oldest regiment in the British Army, fired a 41-round Gun Salute from Gun Wharf at HM Palace and Fortress to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee

Explosive finish: Fireworks go off at Tower Bridge as the pageant reaches its conclusion

Big bang: Fireworks are launched from the top of Tower Bridge marking the end of the record-breaking Diamond Jubilee River Pageant

RAIL NETWORK LEFT SWAMPED

The train network was in chaos yesterday as hordes of revellers swamped platforms trying to get to the Jubilee celebrations.

Children were left in tears as passengers were prevented from boarding trains because of overcrowding, and some services were badly delayed.

It is thought operators failed to schedule enough trains to cope with the extra tens of thousands flooding to the capital, despite laying on additional services.

Problems were reported with First Capital Connect and South West Trains, with London Bridge station one of the worst hit.

One passenger said: ‘It’s been absolute chaos on what should be a proud day for Brits.’

And by around 5pm, 419 boats had reached Tower Bridge in London - setting a new world record for the number of boats taking part in a parade. The event easily surpassed the previous record of 327 boats in Bremerhaven, Germany, last year.

The
first impressive vessel to greet spectators was the Gloriana, the £1m
row barge which led the manpowered section. It was rowed by 18 oarsmen
and women.

Havengore,
the vessel that carried Sir Winston Churchill's coffin during his state
funeral in 1965, is being used in the pageant by the Duke of York and
his daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie and the Earl and
Countess of Wessex.

The
Princesses could be seen frantically waving to the crowds as they set
off with their father standing close by. The Princess Royal and her
husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, both in naval uniforms, were
on the Trinity House no 1 boat.

Conditions
remained dry for the start
of the impressive event when the royal barge, The Spirit of Chartwell,
carrying the Queen senior members of the Royal family took its place in
the flotilla close to Albert Bridge.

The Queen was escorted down the river by the
1,000-strong flotilla to mark 60 years of her reign in an event that promised
to be the most spectacular nautical ceremony in London for the past 350
years.

On the sumptuously decorated barge she was joined by the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales, Duchess of
Cornwall, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

The boat has been described as a
vessel 'fit for a queen' and has been decorated with nearly 10,000
flowers and was donated for use at the event by owner Philip Morrell and
transformed in a project led by award-winning production designer Joseph
Bennett.

Lavishly decorated with replica
carvings and sporting a majestic red, gold and purple colour scheme, the
vessel's design will echo the richly decorated royal barges of the 17th
and 18th centuries.

The Queen alongside The Duchesses of Cambridge and Cornwall enjoy the the Jubilee Pageant on the Thames which broke a world record for the number of boats in a procession

The Duchess of Cambridge smiled as she waved to
the crowds ahead of the Jubilee River Pageant. She will join her husband
Prince William and the Queen on The Spirit of Chartwell

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge along with Prince Harry arrive ahead of the Queen to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee

Pippa Middleton, second from the right, was on-board one of the boats with her brother James, far right, and father Michael, third from right. They were invited by the Queen to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee

A delighted-looking Pippa Middleton, left, and
with her brother James as they make their way down the Thames. The
Middleton family were invited by the Queen

Spectacle: Pippa Middleton, with her brother James to her left and her father Michael behind, enjoy uninterrupted views of the Royal Pageant

Rapturous: Princess Anne, left, and Prince Philip, right, acknowledge the huge and vocal displays of support from the thousands of well-wishers lining the river bank during the Diamond Jubilee River Pageant along the Thames

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, watches the boats from the deck of 'Havengore' during the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant

Pride: London Mayor Boris Johnson, top, joins Sophie, Countess of Wessex, left, and Princess Beatrice, right, on a boat during the Diamond Jubilee River Pageant

Royal arrival: Sophie, Countess of Wessex, arrives at Imperial Wharf, Chelsea, clutching son James' hand, followed by daughter Lady Louise Windsor, to board on of the boats which made up the largest flotilla ever assembled for a parade

Princesses Beatrice, right, and Eugenie wave from a barge in a flotilla of 1,000 vessels, on the River Thames, during a river pageant to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee

It now sports an ornate, gilded prow
sculpture featuring Old Father Thames, a pair of scaly, sharp-toothed
classical dolphins - a symbol of the Thames - and the royal cipher at
the centre.

A lavish, red, velvet banner decorated with a version of the
royal coat-of-arms made from more than half a million gold-coloured
buttons hangs from the stern.

The Queen and Duke will be seated on the vessel's top deck in ornate chairs under a gold-coloured canopy.

The 64 metre-long cruiser has a top
speed of 11 knots, will have rich red drapes decorating its sides and
its bow will display the Queen's cipher, EIIR, below a crown with golden
floral displays around it.

A huge cheer went up whenever the royal barge came into view of the thousands of spectators who lined the banks of the river.

It has a luxury interior designed to
evoke the grandeur of the 1929 Cote d'Azur Pullman railway carriages,
complete with artefacts from the original train and great ocean liners.

Tribute: The National Theatre arranged for its own special event to honour the Queen's Jubilee - by staging part of play War Horse on a rooftop overlooking the Thames

Colours to the mast: People living along the Thames delighted in showing their support for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee by draping the Union Flag their homes

Red, white and blue: Spectators clutched Union Flags as they watch the flotilla from Butlers Wharf, near Tower Bridge, during Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee River Pageant along the River Thames

Rooms with a view: People wave from a building on the river bank as a flotilla of 1,000 vessels passes by during the Thames River Pageant

The Spirit of Chartwell made its way down the Thames with the Queen and other members of the Royal family onboard as thousands of people watched from bridges and river banks

Then and now: A flotilla of manpowered craft rows past St Paul's Cathedral, in a 1747 painting, by Venetian artist Canaletto entitled "London, top. The skyline may have changed since then, but the latest pageant is still a striking image, bottom

Rowing boats made up one of the sections of the 1,000-strong flotilla which was the main event as part of celebrations for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee

Boats gets ready for the start of the Diamond Jubilee River Pageant as the UK celebrates a Diamond Jubilee for only the second time in history

The 1,000-strong flotilla promises to be one of the most spectacular to take place in London for the past 350 years

A steam train and pleasure boat of all shapes and sizes are seen from Battersea bridge on the River Thames as the Queen celebrates her Diamond Jubilee

Flowers from the Queen's gardens will
adorn the barge and take as their theme the Commonwealth, the Queen's
1953 Coronation and the Gold State Coach.

Gardeners' World horticulturist Rachel de Thame created the floral displays which have a red, gold and purple colour scheme.

The water-borne extravaganza features a
flotilla of 1,000 ships, boats, yachts and other vessels, expected to
be seven and a half miles-long.

Organisers hope to recreate scenes not seen on the river for more than 300 years, since the reign of Charles II.

Chelsea pensioners will make up a
Guard of Honour for the Queen, Philip, Charles and Camilla at Chelsea
Pier, and a tender will take them to nearby Cadogan Pier where the royal
barge will be moored.

The Queen wore a stunning silver and white dress and matching coat.
The outfit has been a year in the planning, was designed by Angela
Kelly and made by her small in-house Buckingham Palace team.

Its colour scheme was chosen to stand out against the red, gold and purple hues of the royal barge.

The Queen arrived wearing a stylish dress and
matching coat designed by Angela Kelly. She was delighted when the
crowds began cheering after she arrived

A jubilant looking Queen Elizabeth II greets the Chelsea Pensioners before she boards The Spirit of Chartwell ahead of the Jubilee celebrations

Prince Charles, accompanied by his wife the Duchess of Cornwall, and his sister the Princess Royal, right, were only young children when their mother became Queen sixty years ago

The Queen walks down the gangway to her launch wearing an outfit especially designed for the occasion by Angela Kelly. It has been a year in the making

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh wave from the launch during the pageant celebration to mark 60 years of her reign in Britain. She celebrated the day with her family and hundreds of thousands of people who lined the banks of the River Thames

Prince Charles, who is patron of the
pageant and made the suggestion of a water-borne tribute to his mother,
wore his Royal Navy Admiral's ceremonial day dress uniform. His wife the
Duchess of Cornwall chose to wear an Anna Valentine coat and dress with
a hat designed by
Philip Treacy.

A guard of
honour formed of Chelsea Pensioners in their immaculate scarlet uniforms
were lined up in front of the royal couple as they arrived.

Charles and Camilla had earlier ventured out into
the rain to join a Big Jubilee Lunch street party in London's
Piccadilly with the royal couple stopping to chat to revellers in the street
and even sat down with them.

London Mayor Boris Johnson was upbeat from Putney Pier, declaring the rain had passed as he geed-up the crowds around him.

'I want you to know the rain has
stopped, hasn't it?' the politician said, turning to a crowd behind him
while being interviewed by BBC News.

He added: 'It's going to be a fantastic day, I've no doubt about that at
all. We're are looking forward very much here in Putney to the
kick-off, which I think is in a couple of hours time, but already the
crowds are enormous here.'

Thousands of people had eagerly waited to catch a glimpse of the Queen with scores camping overnight
in the rainy weather.

They used Union flag inspired tents and umbrellas
to keep themselves dry while others bought camping stoves, sausages,
bacon and eggs so they could have a fry up.

Many
said they would not let the miserable weather get them down and spent
the night singing and dancing in a bid to try and keep warm.

Get cracking, then! A passenger, and dog, wait for their oarsman to get going on the Thames

Rowing boats start to gather in preparation for the Queen's arrival and will be part of the team that escort her down the river

Thousands of people watch from the banks and the bridge as the boats prepare for the Queen's arrival in London

Crowds of people gather near Tower Bridge to see the Queen as she cruises along on the Thames. This is only the second time in the history of the UK that a Monarch has celebrated a Diamond Jubilee

A group of women on one of the rowing boats smile as they get ready

Karen Chen, 32 and David Ip, 31, from
Streatham, south London, said the
rain had not put them off coming to the river early to get a prime spot.
'We got here just after 7.30 [this morning], it would have been earlier
if we thought we would have more competition. The rain actually works
to our advantage,' Ms Chen said.

The pair bagged a prime spot on a bench next to Battersea Bridge and said they were ready for the long-haul.

'We are wrapped up warmly and have waterproof sheets to shelter under.
We have got a picnic of marmalade and cheese and pickle sandwiches and
Mr Kipling cakes,' Mr Ip added.

'Today is a spectacular event, nothing would have stopped us from coming
to see the boats. We are so excited about all the variety. It will only
happen once in our lifetime and we will be here until the very end,' Ms
Chen said.

Organisers had
remained upbeat about the weather despite rain being forecast for most
of the day, with Pageant Master Adrian Evans declaring preparations were
in hand.

Participants row a boat flying the Italian flag as they prepare for the 1,000-strong flotilla

Fans of the Royal Family wait beneath an umbrella in the rain near Tower Bridge ahead of the river pageant

Two women brave the cold and wait on the banks of the River Thames so they can watch the 1,000-strong flotilla to start

Crowds gather on Westminster Bridge, London, ahead of the start of the Diamond Jubilee river pageant

Bunny Henderson comes prepared for the dreary weather and is determined not to let it ruin her day

People take cover under their umbrellas on Westminster Bridge as images of the Queen are projected onto a screen

'There is some
rain around, but it has not dampened any spirits,' said Mr Evans. 'We
in Britain are experts at not letting the weather spoil our fun.

The
London Philharmonic Orchestra will be playing Singing In The Rain as
they travel down the river, and the crowd can sing along with them.

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'We
are all set to have one of the most spectacular pieces of river theatre
that London, and the world, has ever seen. Excitement is building, and
everything is ready.'

Prime Minister David Cameron will
also take part in the celebrations and will join his staff and guests
for a party in Downing Street.

The
event is part of the Big Jubilee Lunch - which will see thousands of
neighbourly meals being staged across the country in honour of the
Queen's 60-year reign.

Speaking
about the Queen and the Monarchy on the BBC's Andrew Marr show he said
he believed there would be less stability in Britain if the Royal family
did not exist.

'I think one of the great things that a monarch brings, and particularly
a Royal Family and Her Majesty the Queen personally brings, is this
sense of national unity and stability, someone who the whole country can
identify with,' he said.

'It doesn't matter whether people are Labour or Conservative or Liberal
Democrat or can't bear any politicians.

Prime Minister David Cameron with scouts at the Downing Street party in London. He said the UK needed the Monarchy because it provided stability

Supporters of the Queen gather in the cold weather as the Queen celebrates her Diamond Jubilee

A group of women who camped overnight celebrate as they wait for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations to start

Two women, one dressed as the Queen and another as a 'coronation chicken' go all out in celebration of the Jubilee

There's at the head of state
someone who the whole country can revere
and look up to, a great symbol of national unity, of continuity, that
links British people with our institutions, with our history, with our
relations with other countries, with the Commonwealth.

'All of those things help to anchor us, so I think it's a great source of strength and stability, both now and into the future.'

He also quashed the idea of the Queen abdicating in favour of her
grandson the Duke of Cambridge: 'It's hard to think of ever her putting a
foot wrong.

And you get the sense with her that she will go on doing
the amazing job she's done for this country as long as she possibly can
and you never see any sign of her devotion getting any less.'

The
street outside the official London home of the prime minister will
also host charities, who have a royal patron or are supporters of the
Lunch.

Peter Stewart,
director of the Big Jubilee Lunch, said: 'We're thrilled Downing Street
is hosting this lunch for people who are active in bringing communities
together, which is what the Big Lunch is all about.'

Surprise guests: Charles and Camilla dropped in on Britain's poshest street party today, held outside the Ritz and Fortnum & Mason on London's Piccadilly

Prince Charles, with his wife the Duchess of Cornwall, gets into the swing of things as they celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee

Local
branches of the Scout Association, Girlguiding UK, Age UK and Contact
the Elderly will join the staff from Downing street, and the party
atmosphere will be created with games, music and face painting.

The
Duchess of Cornwall is patron of the event, led by the Eden Project,
which aims to encourage neighbourhoods to come together to share lunch
and a few hours of community, friendship and fun.

The
event stems from the Big Lunch movement, which started in 2009 and
which last year saw almost two million people get together in their
local communities.

This year
people across all 54 Commonwealth countries are being encouraged to
hold their own Big Jubilee Lunch events as part of the celebrations.

Almost six million Britons plan to throw a house party this weekend for the Diamond Jubilee, a study has suggested.

Some
12 per cent of people plan to hold celebrations at home to mark the
Queen's 60-year reign, spending £83 each on average, amounting to £424
million spent across the country on food, drink and decorations,
Santander Insurance found.

A young boy gets into the spirit by donning a mask of the Queen while a woman, right, sips on a cup of tea to keep her warm ahead of the celebrations taking place

Union Jack adorned tents were a favourite among those who spent the night camped along the banks of the Thames

Royal revellers wait in the rain on the South Bank of the River Thames for the start of the Diamond Jubilee

WHAT THE QUEEN WORE ON HER SPECIAL DAY

The Queen arrived for the Diamond Jubilee river pageant wearing a stunning silver and white dress and matching coat.

The outfit has been a year in the planning and was designed by Angela Kelly and made by her small in-house Buckingham Palace team. Its colour scheme was chosen to stand out against the red, gold and purple hues of the royal barge.

It is created from white boucle, a fabric which has a fine textured feel, and threaded throughout with silk ribbon. The boucle was embroidered with gold, silver and ivory spots and embellished with Swarovski crystals to reflect the River Thames.

The outfit was finished with a silk organza frill.The Queen's hat had a swept up brim, the crown of which was made of the same material as the coat.

Details on the hat included feathers hand dyed in Buckingham Palace by one of Miss Kelly's team who spent a number of months making the whole outfit. More silk organza and Swarovski crystals were used to decorate this uniquely shaped hat.

BRITONS EMBRACE THE SPIRIT AS SALES FOR JUBILEE INSPIRED GOODS SOAR

Sales for Jubilee inspired products have soared

What's red and white and blue all over? In Britain this weekend, everything. As the country celebrates Queen Elizabeth II's 60 years on the throne, retailers are embracing the jubilee spirit, doing a roaring trade in tricolor British flags, bunting and party supplies.

'Anything with a Union Jack on it is selling like hot cakes,' said Matt Compton, party goods buyer for the Tesco supermarket chain. 'This is the biggest week we have had since the Millennium in terms of party sales, with demand far exceeding sales (during) last year's royal wedding.'

The patriotic outpouring stems from a mix of affection for the 86-year-old queen and delight at a four-day holiday weekend, granted for the second royal Diamond Jubilee in British history.

Only Queen Victoria, Elizabeth's great-great grandmother, ruled for longer than the current monarch. Hundreds of thousands of people planned picnics or street parties as the Queen's royal barge leads a 1,000-boat jubilee flotilla.

The weather report calls for cool temperatures and rain, but stores have all but sold out of Pimms, the gin-based liqueur that - mixed with fruit and fizzy lemonade - is England's archetypal summer drink. Supermarket chain Waitrose said sales of Pimms are up by more than 260 percent compared to last year.

It is a welcome boost for struggling retailers as The Bank of England warned that the extra holidays will hit economic output, but some stores, at least, have reason to celebrate.

Food and clothing chain Marks and Spencer said it had sold more than 200,000 jubilee teacakes, 50,000 commemorative cookie tins and 31 miles of bunting.

Gift shops and departments stores are stocked with souvenirs that range from classy to kitschy, and from cheap to cheekily expensive.

The Royal Collection is offering an official Diamond Jubilee tea blend, £8.95 pounds and a cake at £14.95, from a recipe by Fiona Cairns, who baked Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding cake. Don't forget the cake stand - yours for £395.

It would not be a British occasion without a touch of the eccentric, irreverent and even downright tacky.

House and garden supply chain B&Q says it has sold 3,100 jubilee garden gnomes - pointy-headed lawn ornaments styled on the queen and her husband, Prince Philip.

An online sex toy retailer is offering - to put it delicately - glittering royal adornments for the nether regions.

And enterprising English designer Lydia Leith, who had a cult hit last year with her custom-made royal wedding sick bags, has designed a series of temporary tattoos of corgis, crowns and carriages, as well as a jelly mold in the shape of the queen's head.

'It's not meant to be offensive in any way. It's just meant to be fun,' said Leith, who will be selling her wares at a jubilee festival in London's Battersea Park on Sunday.

'There's something for everyone. If you don't like the royal family you can buy a sick bag. If you do, you can buy a tattoo.'